Above all else

I learn so much from the unvarnished wisdom of my kids.  I was doing a school project with my 10-year old earlier this evening, which involves him interviewing me about what life was like back when I was a kid.  So I told him about how we used to live, 10 people and 3 generations, in a four-room flat - my grandmother on the floor in the hall, and one family in each of the three bedrooms.  I blogged about this several months ago on the theme of gratefulness - http://www.pilgrimonearth.blogspot.sg/2013/10/had-good-day.html . And here's how our conversation went from there: Daniel: Wait - isn't where we live now a flat too?  I tell all my friends I live in a flat. Daddy: Yes, we live in a flat, but it's privately built and more expensive than a HDB flat which is Government built. Daniel: So why would anyone do that [live in a private flat]? Daddy: ... ... good question.  I don't know.  Maybe because there's a pool and gym? Daniel: But no one uses t...

I went to visit one of the families which we reach out to with our bread distribution this morning.  The actual guy with whom I wanted to catch up wasn't at home, so I decided to help one of his kids with his Primary 1 mathematics homework.  I very quickly got worried because it was quite apparent that he could not read.  When you can't read English, you have a massive problem - you can't understand what the maths question is asking you.  So what was supposed to be maths homework evolved into a lesson on phonics (for the kid) and patience (for me)! I've blogged about this before, but this is where the role of our education system as the great leveler, and facilitator of social mobility is being undermined by our expanding GINI co-efficient.  The better-off can afford tuition.  The poor cannot.  Our teachers are in a dilemma, because they have to cater for the kids who have already been tutored and will be bored by the basics, as well as the kids ...

Happy New Year! It says on my blog profile "30-something husband, father, son.  Sometime lawyer, fulltime Christian"  Well, that 30-something part will be changing sometime later this year!  As I hit 40, it's a good time to look back on the first half, before looking forward to the next! The 30-something years have been a thrilling time, with lots of ups and downs.  This year Lyn and I will celebrate 14 years of marriage, getting to know, appreciate and hopefully tolerate :) each other better each year.  God has really blessed me - never a moment I've regretted with my wonderful wife who helps me to be more than I ever thought I could be.  My son was born in the year I turned 30, adding to my daughter who was born 2 years earlier, and completing the set :)  It was tiring!  But now I look at them - 10 and 12, by God's grace, healthy, learning to be obedient, learning to love God more and more each year.  And all the sleepless nights...